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The Romance Between Sir Gawain And Bertilak's Wife

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The Romance Between Sir Gawain And Bertilak's Wife
The romance between Sir Gawain and Bertilak’s wife is one of forbidden love, where one side is madly in love, while the other is only trying to be courteous. The woman persistently trying to get the man to sleep with her is a recurring theme in romance novels, and the bedroom setting is also one of the recurring themes (while I do not claim to be an expert in the area of romance novels). These elements persist because romance, and what entices those who read romance, does not change over the ages, as basic human desires for love and satisfaction stay the same. When Bertilak’s wife “cradles him in her arms, leans nearer and nearer, then kisses the knight”, it reminds the reader of how modern day romance, or affair, begins (Fitt 3: 1305-1306).
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